Lower Back Pain

[marni]

one other possibility is that perhaps some core work would help also. Your strong core represents a strong center against which all the muscles in your back, rump, arms and legs brace and pull so anything you can do to strengthen and stabilize your core should help. You might also want to doo some arm and shoulder strengthening so that you aren't sinking into your back or letting your shoulders ride up into your ears.

As for stretching beforehand, a recent article in either roadbikereader.com or bicycling.com would seem to indicate that stretching before you ride is not as optimal as stretching after and giving yourself plenty of time of easy riiding and chicken footing to get yourself warmed up.

Just my thoughts.

marni

[XMcShiftersonX]

As for stretching beforehand, a recent article in either roadbikereader.com or bicycling.com would seem to indicate that stretching before you ride is not as optimal as stretching after and giving yourself plenty of time of easy riiding and chicken footing to get yourself warmed up.

That may be part of the problem. Anytime I leave my house, I almost immediately have a 200 foot climb over 1/2 mile, so I go from cold to hot pretty quickly!

[ny biker]

I stretch my hamstrings every morning. Lately I've been doing hip flexors too, because they've been feeling tight.

You can take stretch breaks a few times a day. It doesn't have to be directly related to a ride.

[indysteel]

one other possibility is that perhaps some core work would help also. Your strong core represents a strong center against which all the muscles in your back, rump, arms and legs brace and pull so anything you can do to strengthen and stabilize your core should help. You might also want to doo some arm and shoulder strengthening so that you aren't sinking into your back or letting your shoulders ride up into your ears.

As for stretching beforehand, a recent article in either roadbikereader.com or bicycling.com would seem to indicate that stretching before you ride is not as optimal as stretching after and giving yourself plenty of time of easy riiding and chicken footing to get yourself warmed up.

Just my thoughts.

marni

I haven't read the article you referenced, but have more or less followed the debate over the years. I do think that if you stretch cold, you need to be very, very gentle. I regularly practice yoga, so my muscles are a little more flexible, cold or warm, than they used to be. That helps. That said, when the cycling season first begins for me in the Midwest, I find that if I don't stretch my hamstrings and hip flexors before I ride (along with during and after), I just hurt. Thanksfully, as I adapt again to being on the bike, I find that I need to stretch less.

To the OP, is there any way you can warm up a bit, even just for a few miles, before hitting that hill? I imagine that climbing that hill early in your ride isn't helping your back.

[XMcShiftersonX]

Not really... I live at the bottom of that hill, and I live in a condo complex that is pretty much all hills.... so there's definitely no long stretch of flat pavement at the beginning of my ride. But maybe stretching before and then right after I get up that hill might help. Right after the hill there are long flat stretches and then some steep downhills, which are nice.

[ny biker]

How hard do you attack the hill? Can you use an easier gear and a lower cadence or are you already doing that?

[OakLeaf]

I hate to even suggest such a thing, but you could warm up on the trainer and be ready for that hill.

[Eden]

+1 to Marni. Core strengthening can help back issues so much. Having a stronger core will make you a stronger more stable cyclist all around too.

Fitness/yoga balls are great and are a pretty cheap way to do core exercises - and balance exercises as well.

Another thing - do you have health insurance? - many insurers cover a bike fit by a PT these days. You may be able to have a good fit done for little more than a co-pay.

[Blueberry]

Another thing - do you have health insurance? - many insurers cover a bike fit by a PT these days. You may be able to have a good fit done for little more than a co-pay.

Interesting. How in the world do you figure that out? Any tips on what department to call?